Uncoiling mechanism



39- E. w. MIKAELSON 2. 7.577

unco ILING MECHANISM Filed June 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l albumen;

Oct. 24, 1939. E, w m g sou 2,177,577

UNCOILING MECHANISM Filed June 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Glam Oct. 24, 1939. E. w. MIKAELSON UNCOILING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 29, 1936 H 4% l r I 4 G d 7 ji kf i L 45 mm hmdm Patented Oct. 24, 1939 PATENT OFFICE UN COILING MECHANISM Erik W. Mikaelson, Easton. Pa., assignor to Treadwell Engineering Company, Easton, Pa... a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 29, 1936, Serial No. 88,02!

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for;

supporting coiled strips during the unwinding thereof, particularly to machines of this type primarily intended for use in conjunction with rolling mills. In rolling mill practice it has been found convenient, where elongated strips are to be subjected to rolling operations, to form such strips into coils each such coil being thereafter unwound when it is to be subjected to a further rolling operation. customarily the coil is mounted upon means placed closely adjacent the rolling mill through which it is to be passed, and in such manner that it may be revolved during the unrolling operation about an axis parallel to the axes of the mill rolls, the pull of the mill rolls being relied upon to effect the unwinding operation.

Various devices for supporting such coils for rotation about axes parallel to the mill roll axes have heretofore been designed or suggested, one

such device comprising two relatively movable coil engaging heads which heads are adapted to enter from opposite ends the central cylindrical aperture of the coil and to support the coil for rotation about the common axis of the rotatable heads. My present invention relates particularly to-devices of this kind, including two relatively movable coil engaging heads mounted for rotation about a common axis but embodies a number of features of improvement which together render the device superior in action in numerous respects to those of generally similar nature heretofore suggested or used. I

The invention contemplates novel mechanism for opposing the rotation of the coil about its axis when being unwound, the purpose being to place that portion of the strip between the coil supporting devices and the rolling mill under tension, it being sometimes desirable to so subject a strip passing to a rolling mill to substantial tensional forces. Means is therefore provided for opposing unwinding movement of the coil, this means being of such character that variable retarding forces may be applied so that the operator 'may vary at will the tension in the strip in its passage from the coil holding device to the rolling mill. This means includes, in addition to braking devices of one kind or another,

' mechanism for causing tight gripping engageinto coil engaging and gripping position, this mechanism including, in addition to motor driven means for effecting such relative movement, automatic devices for stopping such motor driven means after the heads have reached coil engag- 5 ing positions, respectively. This motion limiting means is so designed and constructed that it is called into operation at the desired instant, regardless of the width of the coil which has been placed upon the machine to be unwound. 10 By the use of this last described mechanism considerable saving in time in positioning a coil for unwinding is effected.

The invention has other features of novelty and advantage as will be apparent to one skilled in 15 the art, One embodiment thereof is disclosed in the accompanying drawings by way of example, but it will be appreciated that the design and arrangement of the various component elements of. the invention may be considerably modi- 20 fled in adapting the same to various situations.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, showing a coil positioned thereon but not yet engaged by the coil supporting heads;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the upper portion of the machine (parts of the base being omitted) showing the coil engaging heads in coil engaging and supporting positions;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1, the coil, however, being omitted;

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1; and as Figure 6 is a. section on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

A coil of the type which the machine is designed and intended to support during an unwinding operation is indicated at C in Figures 1 and 2. This coil may vary in outside diameter to a substantial extent and its length may be somewhat greater or considerably shorter than the length of the coil illustrated. The thickness of the metal of which the strip is fabricated is immaterial. It is essential, however, that the cylindrical central recess of the coil shall have a diameter of a certain minimum length in order that the coil entering portions of the coil engaging heads may have no difficulty in entering the recess. The two coil engaging heads are indicated generally at H and H, these heads being identical in details of construction.

Relatively slidable pedestals or stands are indicated at S and S, these stands also being identical in construction, but facing in opposite 55 directions and each rotatably supporting the ad- Jacent coil engaging head. The pedestals 8 and S are mounted upon a horizontally extending base B the details of which may vary widely, and are relatively unimportant. Each stand or pedestal 8, however, is slidably supported upon the base and preferably upon two parallel longitudinally extending beams such as-indicated at l9 and II. Thus in the form of the invention illustrated pedestal S is provided with shoes I2 I and I3, the shoe l2 being V-shaped to receive the stationary guide l4, which is triangular in cross section and fastened upon the upper surface of beam ID. The shoe I3 is horizontal and rests upon the upper surface of beam II or upon the anti-friction member l5 interposed therebetween. Inasmuch as the machine may be subjected when in use to forces of considerable magnitude which tend to overturn the same, means is provided for engaging the undersurfaces of the upper inner flanges of beams l9 and II, such means including rollers l6 and I I, respectively, of which there may be a number on each side of each sliding pedestal, each of these rollers being rotatably mounted upon an arbor rigid with the pedestal and adapted to have rolling contact with the undersurface of the adjacent pedestal supporting beam. Upon the application of any overturning forces to the pedestals these rollers function to prevent such overturning and maintain the pedestals at all times firmly secured to the base, for all relative positions of adjustment of the pedestals thereon.

Mounted centrally upon the base is a coil support, which support mayvary in details as found convenient but which includes a plurality of rollers It, the axes of which are parallel and disposed equidistantly from a common center. When a coil is initially placed upon the machine, as for instance by being rolled into position over the supporting guide 29, it comes to rest in the position indicated in Figure l, resting upon the rollers l8. When in this position it may be conveniently engaged and raised by the coil engaging heads H and H.

Means for effecting sliding movement of the pedestals S and S toward and away from each other is most clearly disclosed in Figure 3. Two elongated threaded screw shafts, arranged in axial alignment, are indicated at 25 and 26, respectively, the inner ends of these shafts being detachably coupled together by means of a coupling device generally indicated at D and by means of which they are normally united for simultaneous rotation. Coupling D, however, permits the screw shafts 25 and 26 to be disconnected if desired so that one only of the pedestals S may be moved, the other remaining stationary and being locked in aflxed position by reason of its threaded engagement with the associated operating screw shaft. Adjacent the coupling D the screw shafts-25 and 26 are provided with suitable step bearings to take up longitudinal thrust and to the outer ends of these shafts are secured, through suitable flexible connections, the operating motors 21 and 29,these motors being mounted upon the base B.

Encircling screw shaft 25 is an interiorly threaded sleeve or nut 29, thus nut in turn extending through aligned apertures formed in the transversely extending frame 39 which forms an integral part of pedestal S. It will be appreciated that the pedestals S and S are identical in conon, although r v rs d. in position, and

hence it will be necessary to describe only one such pedestal in detail.

Nut 29 is longitudinally slidable to a limited extent in the aligned apertures in cross frame 30 through which it extends but normally occu-' pics the position in which it is shown in Figure 3, with the ring nut 9| at one end thereof tightly engaging an outer face of the'cross frame 39, a heavy helical spring 32 which encircles nut 29, having its right-hand end bearing against the cross frame and its left-hand end against the annular shoulder 29' of nut 29, this spring being normally under compression to firmly hold the parts in the position shown. The flanged end of 29 is either non-circular in form, or is provided with a spline such as indicated at 33 for preventing rotation thereof relatively to the cross frame 30. It also carries an arm 34 having a portion inclined to the longitudinal axis of the machine against which there rests at all times a roller 35' secured to the outer end of switch operating arm 36 of limit switch 31 secured to cross frame 30. Limit switch 31 is included in the motor circuit diagrammatically illustrated at 39, through which current is supplied to motor 21 and hence, when open, will immediately halt the operation of motor 21. The arrangement of elements just described is such that when head H is moved toward the right (Figure 1) until it strikes a fixed member, such as the end of coil C when this coil has its opposite end surface similarly engaged by opposite head H, the advancing movement of pedestal S will be immediately halted and hence the advancing movement of the cross frame 30 will be stopped. The motor 21, however, will be still running at this time and the threaded shaft 25 will continue to drive nut 29 toward the right (Figure 3). Nut 29 will actually continue to advance under the thrust of the screw shaft 25 for a slight distance, against the action of the spring 32, but almost instantly the fixed arm 34 on nut 29, owing to the relative movement between the nut and frame 30, will actuate the switch arm 36 of the limit switch 31, thus opening the motor circuit and stopping the motor. Springs 32 will not be unloaded, however, by stoppage of the motor 21 and hence will continue to act to thrust pedestal S toward the right and to maintain head H in tight engagement with the end surface of the coil C. By varying the characteristics of the spring 32 the amount of pressure which head H exerts against the coil 0 may be modified as desired.

The details of construction and the manner of supportof the heads H and H are clearly shown a ported upon the upper end of the vertically excarried. 7 Nut 48 has secured thereto the worm wheel50 the teeth of which mesh with those of a worm i splined upon the longitudinally extending shaft 52 which shaft is rotatably and slidably supported by hearing 53 carried by the cross frame 30. Rotation of shaft 52 therefore results in revolution of the vertical threaded shaft 41 and hence the head H may be raised or lowered relatively to its supporting pedestal and quite regardless of the horizontal position of the pedestal S upon the base B. Shaft 52 is likewise operatively connected to head H and hence, "when the operating motor 55 is energized, both heads H and H will be either raised or lowered simultaneously and through the same vertical distances, the axes of these heads being maintained in alignment at all times.

In addition to the circular disc '40 and annular flange 4| the head includes three segments, indicated at 58, 51 and 58 in Figure 4. Each of the segments is formed, in cross section, in the manner shown in Figure 2, having a radially extending portion 59, a cylindrically curved portion 60 integral therewith and adapted to enter the cylindrical recess of the coil, a shoulder 8| which comprises a spring abutment, the inner end of the radially extending spring 62 resting against this abutment, and a conical inner bearing or seating surface 64 which rests at all times against the conical outer surface of wedge 65, the outer end of spring 62 bearing against the annular flange 4i and the spring therefore thrusting segment 56 radially inwardly to maintain contact between the conical face 64 of the segment and the cone face of the wedge 65. Segments 51 and 58 are similarly formed and are likewise urged by similar springs toward the wedge 65.

Wedge 65 is secured to one end of the horizontally extending shaft 66 which is mounted within a central longitudinally extending aperture in the spindle 42, and is slidable axially within this spindle. Connected to the outer end of axially slidable shaft 68 is ,a piston 61 slidably fitting within the cylinder 58 rigidly secured to spindle 42. By any suitable means fluid under pressure may be conducted into one end or the other of this cylinder and allowed to escape from the opposite end so that the piston may be caused to move axially within the cylinder and hence to move the connected shaft 66 and wedge 65. By manipulation of any suitable valve or control means the operator may cause the wedge to be actuated and the segments to move either radially outwardly simultaneously under the positive thrust of the wedge, or inwardly under the action of springs 62. Hence it is readily apparent that, by first radially contracting the cylindrical coil entering portion of each head, these portions may be caused to have less diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical interior of the coil, and hence may be readily projected into the coil. Thereafter the wedges may be manipulated to thrust outwardly the several segments and to force the cylindrical outer surfaces of the segments into tight engagement with the cylindrical inner surface of the coil. Each segment is provided with a cylindrical strip of friction material 10, for instance of the type employed as lining material for automobile brakes, in order that the inner surface of the coil may be firmly gripped by the expanding head and no slippage occur between the coil and head even though a very substantial force is imposed upon the coil and tending to cause its rotation relatively to the head.

Mounted exteriorly upon spindle 42 is a gear 1| the teeth of which mesh with those of a pinion 12 mounted upon a short shaft 13 which also carries gear 14. The teeth of gear 14 are in turn intermeshed with the teeth of pinion 15 mounted upon short shaft 16 connected to the shaft of the motor generator 11 this motor generator being carried upon a bracket 18 which is integral or rigid with the vertically adjustable housing 44. This shaft of motor generator. 11 extends outwardly and is provided with a drum 19 engageable by a brake band conventionally illustrated at 80. The electrical output of the motor generator 11 may be conducted away by suitable wiring connections and means of any conventional type may be included in this electrical circuit for varying at will the load to be imposed upon the generator, for reasons hereafter to be explained.

When a coiled strip such as indicated at C is to be fed into a rolling mill, it is moved onto the machine in the manner heretofore described, coming to rest upon the rollers l8. The heads H and H are then simultaneously adjusted in elevation until the coil entering portions of these heads are substantially in axial alignment with the cylindrical interior recess of the coil. The motor circuit 38 is then closed and motor 21 energized to advance the head H, the motor 28 being likewise included in this circuit and energized simultaneously with motor 21 when both heads H and H are simultaneously movable, as is usually the case. The heads are then moved simultaneously toward each other and this motion will continue until the ends of the coil are tightly engaged, whereupon the circuit through motor 21 (and motor 28) will be interrupted automatically by the means heretofore described. The operator will then retract the wedges 65 by the fluid pressure means heretofore described and thereby expand the coil entering portions of the wedge until the various friction strips tightly engage the cylindrical inner surface of the coil. The heads will then be simultaneously elevated until the coil is disengaged from the supporting rollers l8 and the coil is ready for uncoiling. Its free outer end is next introduced between the rollers of an adjacent rolling mill (not illustrated) and, when the rolling mill is operated, the coil will be unwound and the heads H and H rotated. As

the generators 11, are operatively connected to the rheostat arm the load imposed upon the generator may be varied.

By reason of the connection of the pedestals S and S to the base B, which base is firmly anchored to the ground or floor, the wedge and pedestals are entirely stable and may not be overturned even though very substantial forces are transmitted thereto, through the uncoiled portion of the strip, from the rolling mill.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the type described comprising in combination, opposed coil engaging heads and means for advancing one of said heads toward the other to engage a coil positioned therebetween, said means including a driving member,

a yielding connection between the driving memher and head, a motor for driving said member,

a switch in the motor circuit, and means for bination, coaxial, individually rotatable expandible and contractible heads for entering the opposite ends of a hollow cylindrical coil to support the same for rotation about a fixed axis, each of said heads having a cylindrical anti-friction surface for engaging the cylindrical inner surface of the coil, means for expanding said heads to causesaid anti-friction surfaces to tightly engage the inner surface ofthe coil, a generator associated with each head, gearing connecting each generator to the associated head whereby the head, when rotated, causes rotation of the generator, and means for variably loading the generators.

4. .In a machine for supporting a coiled strip during an'uncoiling operation, in combination, opposed rotatable coil engaging heads each having a generallycylindrical portion for entering a coil and a flat annular portion encircling the cylindrical portion for positively engaging the annular end surface of a coil, and means for moving said heads toward each other to mutually engage the ends of a coil, said means including a resilient element adapted to be compressed when the heads contact with the coil end surfaces, and to remain compressed during the coil unwinding operation.

5. In a machine for supporting a coiled strip during an uncoiling operation, in combination, opposed rotatable coil engaging heads each having a generally cylindrical portion for entering a coil and a flat annular portion encircling the cylindrical portion for positively engaging the annular end surface of a coil, and means for moving said heads toward each other to mutually engage the ends of a coil, said means including a threaded shaft supported against axial movement, a nut upon and movable axially of said shaft, and a spring having one end movable with the nut and the other end operatively connected to one of the movable heads, the spring being compressed when the said heads engage a coil.

, ERIK W. MIKAELSON. 

